Best of all, she lives on the same street as me! Imagine that - two quilters on one street!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Quilts in the Neighborhood
A mom from school had a birthday party for her 7 year old and we were invited. I knew that this mom was a quilter, but still, there's nothing like walking into someone's home and the first thing you see is this...
Best of all, she lives on the same street as me! Imagine that - two quilters on one street!
Best of all, she lives on the same street as me! Imagine that - two quilters on one street!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Day at the Fair
Today I was a chaperone for my son's 3rd grade to a local country fair. It was a dreary rainy day, but talk about a fun time!
There were a ton of animals to pet...
Fair food to eat...
Junk to buy...
A circus with tightrope bicycle riding clown...
And yes, even quilts! I didn't really find any of "my" type of quilts, they were more traditional, but it was still lovely to see them in a country fair setting.
One I did like was very traditional, but the intricacy of it was amazing. Each individual square was tiny - just a half inch square...
I think I was more attracted today to the wool rugs - they were just beautiful...
The rugs were almost enough to make me a country prim fanatic. *Almost!
There were a ton of animals to pet...
Fair food to eat...
Junk to buy...
A circus with tightrope bicycle riding clown...
And yes, even quilts! I didn't really find any of "my" type of quilts, they were more traditional, but it was still lovely to see them in a country fair setting.
One I did like was very traditional, but the intricacy of it was amazing. Each individual square was tiny - just a half inch square...
I think I was more attracted today to the wool rugs - they were just beautiful...
The rugs were almost enough to make me a country prim fanatic. *Almost!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Bears are Done!
Yes, I know, it's the announcement of the century - I have finished the bears I was commissioned to do! I have have a ton of fun making them but I am all mohaired out! Time to start back on my own stuff.
Since I've just been working all day on finishing up the bears, I have nothing fun an exciting quilting related to show you. BUT I am going to point you in the direction of a giveaway...oh yes, the magic word, GIVEAWAY!!
My friend (in real life even!) Laurie made a Birdie Sling bag and is giving it away.
I don't even get extra entries for blogging about this - I just really needed something to blog about today, and well, I really like Laurie (she came and quilted a quilt at my place back HERE).
I know it's lessening my chances of winning, but oh well - have at it!
You can go enter her giveaway at her blog HERE.
Since I've just been working all day on finishing up the bears, I have nothing fun an exciting quilting related to show you. BUT I am going to point you in the direction of a giveaway...oh yes, the magic word, GIVEAWAY!!
My friend (in real life even!) Laurie made a Birdie Sling bag and is giving it away.
I don't even get extra entries for blogging about this - I just really needed something to blog about today, and well, I really like Laurie (she came and quilted a quilt at my place back HERE).
I know it's lessening my chances of winning, but oh well - have at it!
You can go enter her giveaway at her blog HERE.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Quilting
Finally, after way waaaay too long, I am getting the fruit and vege quilt quilted. It's amazing how much you can get done with 10 minutes here and 5 minutes there!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Seen-It-Sunday
I have some fun fabric things to share today that I've seen through the week.
First up is a trio of repurposed frames my dear friend Shannon thrifted, painted, and put to use...
She is so creative and talented! She is new to quilting, but she designed and made that appliqued birdcage in the middle frame. She is also a frequent blogger, and organization expert! You can check her out HERE.
Next up is the most adorable wreath...
I am on such a wreath kick lately, especially now that I have a nice new front door instead of the old ugly falling apart one! Can't you just see rummaging through your fabric scraps and making a bunch of rosettes and putting them on a wreath? So lovely! You could even color co-ordinate them for different holidays. And we all know holiday season will be upon us before we know it! Original post HERE. If any of you are in the NC area, there are classes at Karen Gray's quilt shop of making these! I'd be there in a heartbeat if I lived close!
Lastly, check out these cute headbands...
Amy of Vintage Fern had her daughters make a bunch of things to sell at the shows she is a vendor at, and the headbands were one of the things her girls came up with. What a great Mom! You can see these and the other cute things her girls came up with HERE.
First up is a trio of repurposed frames my dear friend Shannon thrifted, painted, and put to use...
She is so creative and talented! She is new to quilting, but she designed and made that appliqued birdcage in the middle frame. She is also a frequent blogger, and organization expert! You can check her out HERE.
Next up is the most adorable wreath...
I am on such a wreath kick lately, especially now that I have a nice new front door instead of the old ugly falling apart one! Can't you just see rummaging through your fabric scraps and making a bunch of rosettes and putting them on a wreath? So lovely! You could even color co-ordinate them for different holidays. And we all know holiday season will be upon us before we know it! Original post HERE. If any of you are in the NC area, there are classes at Karen Gray's quilt shop of making these! I'd be there in a heartbeat if I lived close!
Lastly, check out these cute headbands...
Amy of Vintage Fern had her daughters make a bunch of things to sell at the shows she is a vendor at, and the headbands were one of the things her girls came up with. What a great Mom! You can see these and the other cute things her girls came up with HERE.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Dinner and Such...
Not a lot of sewing has gone on in my house today. I have a friend staying for a couple of days from Utah so of course sewing has gone out the window! Who needs to sew when you can sit and laugh and catch up with a good friend?!
I did manage to sew a nose on a teddy bear, so my sewing every day this year goal is still intact.
Maybe you'd like to see the yummy dinner we had instead of stitching? I baked a ham on the bone...
We also made a nice big salad, and pretzel breadsticks a la Auntie Anne's pretzels you see at almost every mall in America. Both the original kind and the cinnamon sugar variety. 
I stood there one day for half an hour watching how they make them, went home and recreated them. Delicious!! However, don't ask me the secret to making them taste the same - it's so completely decadent that I'm afraid you couldn't handle it!! OK I'll give you a clue...you can watch their official video HERE on how to make them from their kit, and at the 7.05 min mark you'll see. Except in the stores they don't daintily brush it on - it gets completely dunked!
Also, since this is a quilting blog, see the placemats? Yes they are the quilted ones I made a few months back. See, even when I blog about a ham dinner and pretzels, I still manage to fit something quilting related in!
I did manage to sew a nose on a teddy bear, so my sewing every day this year goal is still intact.
Maybe you'd like to see the yummy dinner we had instead of stitching? I baked a ham on the bone...
I stood there one day for half an hour watching how they make them, went home and recreated them. Delicious!! However, don't ask me the secret to making them taste the same - it's so completely decadent that I'm afraid you couldn't handle it!! OK I'll give you a clue...you can watch their official video HERE on how to make them from their kit, and at the 7.05 min mark you'll see. Except in the stores they don't daintily brush it on - it gets completely dunked!
Also, since this is a quilting blog, see the placemats? Yes they are the quilted ones I made a few months back. See, even when I blog about a ham dinner and pretzels, I still manage to fit something quilting related in!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Teddy Time
Along with the quilts I was commissioned to make recently, I am also making teddy bears to go with them. These aren't you regular teddy bears made with fake fur from a local craft store - these are made with super duper expensive mohair. If you're not familiar with mohair, it runs from around $100-$200 per yard. Do you have any idea how scary it is cutting into stuff that expensive? Yikes! But cut I did, and I'm almost done with the bears. All I can show you right now are bits and pieces, but I do have a headless bear, and the head of another you can see.
No face is on the blonde bear yet, but I'll be working on that as soon as I post this. That's the fun part - it's when the bear comes to life. The placement of just one stitch can change the entire expression.
These bears will be all finished this weekend, and then I plan to get my fruit and vege quilt all quilted and bound. Start thinking of a name for it - "fruit and vege" quilt is just not working for me!
These bears will be all finished this weekend, and then I plan to get my fruit and vege quilt all quilted and bound. Start thinking of a name for it - "fruit and vege" quilt is just not working for me!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Bags and Rosettes
Every Thursday night the youth in our church (ages 12-17) have activities at our church building. Tonight I went along to help the girls with a project. They are making bags to carry their scriptures in, and the way they are decorating them is sooo cute! The bags will be covered in fabric ruffles and have a fabric rosette pinned on like this finished sample...
Tonight we cut out the fabrics and made the rosettes. 
Next time everything will be assembled. I think they had fun, and they were pretty excited when I asked if they wanted to be on my blog!
Next time everything will be assembled. I think they had fun, and they were pretty excited when I asked if they wanted to be on my blog!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
2 Quilts Done
I have quilts finished! Woo Hoo! Basting, quilting, and binding is done. I decided to spray baste these ones and it worked out wonderfully. I will be doing a lot more of this in the future!
These two quilts are ready to be shipped off to Washington State to my cousin's wife who commissioned them. Once her 'project' is completed in a few months I'll be able to share the entire fronts and you can see the applique I added!
Between sewing up 90 yards of fabric into curtains, and making these two quilts, I've had quite a busy week. I think tonight I'll take a break :)
These two quilts are ready to be shipped off to Washington State to my cousin's wife who commissioned them. Once her 'project' is completed in a few months I'll be able to share the entire fronts and you can see the applique I added!
Between sewing up 90 yards of fabric into curtains, and making these two quilts, I've had quite a busy week. I think tonight I'll take a break :)
Monday, September 19, 2011
Binding
Binding. binding, and more binding is the order of the day in this house.
I know a lot of people don't enjoy it, but I actually love it - I find it very mindless and relaxing. I can do it while sitting in bed watching TV, but the best part of sewing on binding is it means the quilt is almost done!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Seen-It-Sunday
Making the curtain for my quilt room yesterday from a vintage sheet got me in the mood for all things vintage, so today's Seen-It-Sunday is the vintage edition!
First up is a tutorial. Oh how I love tutorials! And since the weather is finally feeling very Autumn-like around here, how perfect would this pile of pumpkins be?!
And even better when made from a mix of modern and vintage fabrics like these. Tutorial found HERE.
Next up, check out these way cute headbands made from vintage fabrics.
It looks like the maker is selling them on Etsy HERE. Soooo cute!
And lastly, Just some pretty pics of vintage fabrics and goodies. Pretty pretty pretty!
(2 previous images from Hideaway Girl)
First up is a tutorial. Oh how I love tutorials! And since the weather is finally feeling very Autumn-like around here, how perfect would this pile of pumpkins be?!
And even better when made from a mix of modern and vintage fabrics like these. Tutorial found HERE.
Next up, check out these way cute headbands made from vintage fabrics.
It looks like the maker is selling them on Etsy HERE. Soooo cute!
And lastly, Just some pretty pics of vintage fabrics and goodies. Pretty pretty pretty!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Curtain (of a different kind)
The hair salon curtains are now sewn, ironed, and folded, but I was strangely still in the curtain making mood. I have this odd space in my quilt room. It's really a big doorless cupboard...
It looks like a great useful space, except nothing can be put on the floor. Under a wooden board is a big hole which fills up with water a couple of times a year, which you then empty out with the sump pump which you can see sitting there. Attractive ain't it?
I keep meaning to make a curtain to cover it, and today was the day! Yippee! I've been collecting vintage sheets, so I just pulled out a twin size one of those, hemmed up the bottom a couple of inches since it was a tad too long, installed the curtain rod, and there you have it. Done!
So now, instead of looking at an unusable gaping hole while I sew, I get to see this vintage prettiness...
Much better:) Price - $2 for the vintage sheet, $1.80 for the rod. I call that a bargain!
It looks like a great useful space, except nothing can be put on the floor. Under a wooden board is a big hole which fills up with water a couple of times a year, which you then empty out with the sump pump which you can see sitting there. Attractive ain't it?
I keep meaning to make a curtain to cover it, and today was the day! Yippee! I've been collecting vintage sheets, so I just pulled out a twin size one of those, hemmed up the bottom a couple of inches since it was a tad too long, installed the curtain rod, and there you have it. Done!
So now, instead of looking at an unusable gaping hole while I sew, I get to see this vintage prettiness...
Much better:) Price - $2 for the vintage sheet, $1.80 for the rod. I call that a bargain!